Picture Perfect
by justastranger
Summary: Kiba and Tenten are two ordinary nins who have two ordinary lives. Follow them through the start of each new day and the surprises it can bring. [KibaHina] [NejiTen] [KibaTen Friendship]
1. Boredom

Title: Picture Perfect

Author: lustoflostlove

Summary: Kiba and Tenten are two ordinary nins who have two ordinary lives. Follow them through the start of each new day and the surprises it can bring. Pairings: KibaHina, NejiTen, and KibaTen Friendship. May also include slight NaruSaku, slight ShikaTema. There may also be slight OOC.

Centric Characters (P.O.V.s): Tenten and Kiba. It'll occasionally be in another character's P.O.V.

Rating: T for language and perhaps some violence.

Genres: General. There's not much action. It's not that funny. I'm not into writing fluff, so not much romance. THEN WHAT IS IT?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Kankuro would have taken his hat off.

Warnings: There may be very slight spoilers for those who haven't caught up with the anime, but I assure you that there will be no manga spoilers, but this story does in fact occur after the timeskip, because I enjoy writing about them when they are older.

_Italics are for thoughts in Normal P.O.V._

_(Italics with parenthesis are my author notes, because, they obviously say, A/N.)_

**Bold are for headings.**

_**Italic Bolds are for flashbacks.**_

**Picture Perfect**

**Chapter 1: Boredom**

**Kiba P.O.V.**

I burrowed deeper into my sheets as the alarm clock emitted a series of annoying beeps. Furrowing my brow, I desperately tried to grab the dream that was slipping away from me like sand in an hourglass. Finally, I shot a hand out of the tangle of blankets and smashed it into the clock, which then skittered across the floor, still beeping. I got up and picked it up, fumbling with it until it shut off. Groggily, I left my room and made my way to the kitchen. I passed the table, tripped over one of the legs, and banged my head on a chair. This is going to be a long day.

After an hour, I left my house with unbrushed hair and a growling stomach. Akamaru whined to me at the gate, so I opened it and he rushed out, eager to stretch his legs. He grinned at me in his doggish way and I grinned right back at him. Good 'ol Akamaru. Then, we headed off toward the training grounds.

As I approached the training grounds, I saw a familiar bun-haired figure tapping her foot impatiently.

"You're late," she snarled.

"Sorry. I wasn't having a good morning."

"I see," she said, her gaze lingering on my hair, which was sticking up all over the place. "Sleep on the wrong side of the dog house?" She cracked a smile,"Well, let's get started."

We've been training together for awhile now. Actually, I can't really remember any day where I hadn't seen her at least once. I guess we kind of became friends after our third try in Chuunin exams where she was paired with me and Hinata for the tests. Shino had passed on his second try and so had Neji and Lee, so the Fifth stuck her with us. Gradually, we started doing things together more often, like going out to eat or doing missions. Now, we're training together. Shino is almost always on a mission of some sort, and when he's not he's...well, I dunno, but I suppose he's training with his dad or something. Hinata tends to train with Neji and her family so I asked Tenten. She agreed, saying that Lee and Gai's lap and push up taijutsu training wasn't really what she had in mind.

"Ready?" she asked and I braced myself for the barrage of weapons I knew would be coming.

Three hours later, I was lying flat on my back under a tree panting heavily. The ground was covered with holes and strewn with various weapons. Akamaru was lying next to me, taking a nap. After storing away her weapons, she walked over to me, equally tired. She said wearily,"Your Gatsuuga's aim is getting loads better."

"Awesome," I remarked grinning.

"Let's rest for a little bit then get something to eat," she suggested.

"Great! I'm STARVED! I didn't eat any breakfast!" I exclaimed and she gave me an amused look. "I'm sure you are. Wait, lemmie bandage out injuries first."

She bandaged me and then started on herself. Then we just sat there restoring our energy and staring unfocused at the landscape. I turned to look at her and she was sitting in a daze. Sometimes I'd like to see what goes on in that head of hers. After getting to know her a bit, I found out a lot of stuff about her. Her self-esteem was just about as low as Hinata's used to be. She's really paranoid and thinks that her only talent is weaponry. I didn't think so. Her genjutsu really was poor, but her ninjutsu was fair and her taijutsu was good. 'Specially since her teammate was Rock Lee and her sensei being Gai. Those two taijutsu freaks had once done laps for three days while SLEEPING. She's self-conscious about her own name. She thinks her name is stupid. It means "here and there". It also bugs her that her name repeats itself, 'cause I think repeating names are popular for pandas. But, hey it makes sense, with her buns and all. Haha.

"Wanna go eat now?" she asked, breaking my train of thought.

"Alright! I'm so hungry I could eat Akamaru!" I yelled and he growled. "I'm only kidding." I said hastily and she laughed.

Fifteen some minutes later, we were sitting at Ichiraku's waiting for our food. Akamaru was under my feet and she was stirring her water in a bored fashion.

"Have you gotten any good missions lately?" she inquired.

"Nope."

"I haven't got anything good either. Missions are slow nowadays."

"Here's your ramen."

"Itadakimasu."

I slurped the noodles. They tasted really good on an empty stomach. I was in heaven.

We finished eating and paid the bill. Hah. She paid because I "forgot" my wallet, but now I was sporting a rather sore bruise on my head.

Then, we just sat on a bench watching the people pass by. I could see Hinata and Neji down the street. It's been a week since I saw my teammate, and for some reason, I didn't feel like seeing her now. The noodles in my stomach churned as I saw Naruto approach her. She had turned the same hue as a tomato and seemed to be having trouble breathing. What does she see in him?

"Let's leave," I said to Tenten, not meeting her eyes. She raised her eyebrow but got up without questioning me. "Let's go to the training grounds then."

Akamaru had run off somewhere and Tenten was currently examining her nails. I could tell she was bored, and I was too. Then, I had an idea.

"Hey, do you remember when we used to play ninja when we were little kids?"

"Sure." she said. "Why?"

"Well, why don't we play for old time's sake? I'll be it. It'll be like training. I'll use my tracking skills to find you and you try to evade me. If I don't catch you by the time the sun has set, you win. If I manage to capture you, I win. Good?"

"Okay," she said. "Sounds like fun! Are there any boundaries?"

"Nope. All of Konoha."

Suddenly, she got this evil gleam in her eye. "Punishments?"

"Err...okay. Loser buys lunch all next week." I said and she laughed. "All right. You're on." She got up. "Count to one-hundred. SLOWLY." she commanded and then she took off into the trees.

Finally, after ten minutes I managed to count to one-hundred. I could have counted faster, but I kept forgetting which number I was on. "Ready or not, here I come!" I yelled, though I knew she couldn't hear me because she was probably on the other side of Konoha right now. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

_(A/N: Uhm, please review? I know it isn't that good. It's kind of choppy. I'm not very good at writing. CRITICISMS are allowed. Not pointless, ranting flames. Thank you.)_


	2. The Chase

_(A/N: Woah. I actually got reviews. AFTER ONE DAY. o.o Thank you! I seriously expected that I'd get like zero after a month. Well, the first chapter was a little shaky, but I think this one's a bit better.)__

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**Chapter 2: The Chase**

**Tenten P.O.V.**

I was sitting in the back of a rather large shop, trying to make myself unnoticeable. I had decided to go hide in town because I knew Kiba would be using his extra-sensitive nose to find my scent. It was Saturday around 2 o' clock, so the city was jammed with people doing their shopping and getting their lunch. He would have a much harder time sniffing me out in the midst of hundreds people.

After about an hour, I was seriously bored. I sat there, spacing out. Suddenly, he was visible outside through the door. I could see him sniffing the air. He turned around, peered inside the store right across from the one I was in, and went inside. Shit. He was checking the shops. He's going to find me if I stay in here.

While he was still inside the other store, I crept outside and broke into a run. After I ran a couple of streets, I jumped on top of a building and laid low.

Man, it was a good thing I left. I saw him coming out of the shop I had just been in. I guess he figured out I had been in there, because he looked really annoyed.

He was only about two-hundred yards away from me. I'd better start running and try to put some distance between us because if he saw me right now, I'd be dead. He was a lot faster than me. But where should I go? Hiding didn't work out too good. It looks like the only option I have is running. Not much of a plan, but it's the best I've got.

I jumped off the building and started running. I'm going to have to run in circles around Konoha. I dare not go into the forest because it would be only too easy to find me there. This was just like a cat and mouse chase, and I was the mouse. The only difference was that if he catches me, I wouldn't be food. I'd be buying him food.

I can't believe I'm taking this seriously, but hey, I'm not going to buy him lunch for week. But, I have to admit, I was having fun. I haven't run around and played like this for a long time. My childhood seemed way too short. Oh Kami, I'm going to be old before I know it.

I ran for about ten minutes and then I stopped to catch my breath. I looked around at my surroundings and I could see I was in a less occupied part of the city. There were quite a few homes and in the distance, I could see the park where kids were throwing frisbees and couples were walking around holding hands.

I started running again, not knowing what to do. For two more hours, I basically followed this routine. I'd run for a bit, then stop to rest and look around. My feet were starting to get really sore.

* * *

It was about fifteen minutes past five and I stopped. My cheeks were pink and I was panting and sweating. I wiped off my forehead and winced. 

His absence for the past few hours was really starting to creep me out. Panic rising, I looked behind me, not watching where I was going and crashed into somebody.

I fell on the floor and looked up. There was the rest of my team, sensei and all, looking down on me. Apparently, I had just crashed into Neji.

I looked at him. "Sorry."

"Ah. That's okay," he said and I brushed myself off.

"Tenten, what have you been doing?" Lee asked.

"Running," I replied and all of a sudden, tears started leaking out of Gai-sensei's eyes. "My youthful flower!" he cried joyfully. "You've been doing LAPS!"

Before I knew it, Gai-sensei had pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. Tears were starting to leak out of my eyes too.

Then, he dropped me all of a sudden and I grunted as I fell to the floor a second time. I heard him cry out, "What in the name of all that is youthful is THAT?"

I picked myself up and my eyes followed the direction his finger was pointing at. What I saw made me stiffen in shock. SHIT. Kiba was visible on the horizon and that idiot was RIDING AKAMARU. I could see him smirking in the distance as Akamaru galloped ever so closer.

"Holy crap! The CHEATER!" I yelled and I leapt to the top of a house, leaving the rest of my team thoroughly confused.

I took off, jumping as fast as I could from rooftop to rooftop. I continuously circled Konoha with him hot on my heels. It was proving him difficult to keep up with me, since Akamaru couldn't jump on buildings. If that brain-dead idiot had any sense, he would have got off of him by now. I laughed as I felt the wind whip through my hair.

I eventually managed to lose him when I dashed into an alleyway. I hid behind a trashcan until he rode past and then I snuck into our training grounds. I waited there in a tree for an hour and a half before the sun finally set, leaving the stars and the moon as the only lights in the sky.

* * *

The sun had set twenty minutes ago and I was lying on my back on the nice, cool grass with my eyes closed and arms spread out. 

"You won."

I opened my eyes and saw Kiba standing over me grinning sheepishly. "You look beat."

"It's about time you got here. Damn you. You never said you could ride Akamaru."

"I never said I couldn't either," he said with an evil smirk and Akamaru gave a deep bark. I was too tired to give him a good argument, so I settled with a glare.

"Shit, I'm starved. Let's go get dinner." Kiba put his hands on the back of his head.

"Hah! You pay."

"Hell no! The bet was to pay for _lunch_! Fork over the cash panda gir-OW!"

That bastard.

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_(A/N: Sorry, I've put so little of the pairings in there. I have a feeling that this story is lacking a lot of stuff, but I'm not that much of a writer. Review please?)_


	3. Realization and Truth

_(A/N: I'm eternally grateful for the reviews. Thanks for all the uplifting comments! I checked out the profiles of all my reviewers, and I was like, WOAH. WRITERS. GOOD WRITERS. REVIEWING MY STORY. o.o)_

_Italics will now be used to stress the importance of something. _

**Chapter 3: Realization and Truth**

**Kiba P.O.V.**

It is a nice day today. The sun is shining brightly, but its rays aren't too hot. The wind is blowing gently and the clouds are floating lazily in the sky. A perfect day of cloud watching for Shikamaru.

Me and Tenten were chatting and eating ice cream mochi while walking to my house. We're going to look up plants to make poisons for her weapons in some of my sister's books. Akamaru is walking by my side, enjoying the cool breeze through his fur. We had just finished training and the wind was welcome as I bit my peach flavored treat.

"What next?" she asked, amused.

"Hah! Well, the bug was just about to hatch, and the retard Naruto dropped Sasuke's forehead protector in a hole near some roots in a tree! So we were all telling him to hurry up and he can't reach the stupid thing. He almost has it, so he bends forward some more, and guess what he does!"

"What?"

"He FARTS."

"He FARTS?!"

"He farts. Smack dab where Shino and I are standing with the bug. And talk about ironic! The bug hatches a second after he farts, so now, the bug has been exposed to the smell of his fart! So it buzzes over, and lands on his butt!" She erupted into peals of laughter. "So then, we went back to the Fifth and we had to tell her the mission failed and all, and Sakura hears about it. Boy, was she MAD. Naruto practically fled for his life. He used Henge no Jutsu so she wouldn't recognize him, but then, the dobe farts AGAIN! And the bug was right in the area, so it smells it, and buzzes over and lands right on his ass again! Sakura saw the bug and did he get a beating." I cheerily explained.

Tenten grinned. "Poor Naruto. He had the best intentions." She said as she licked the powder off of her fingers from her green tea mochi.

"Hey! Kiba! Tenten!"

We turned around and saw the waving figure of... Naruto. And surprise, surprise. The rest of our teammates were following him.

"Speak of the devil," I muttered.

"Tell me about it," she replied.

"HI GUYS!" he yelled as he jogged to catch up with us. "What are you doing?!"

I shrugged. "Not much. What are all of you guys doing?"

"Just hanging out."

Tenten's eyes traveled over to the group heading toward them. Her lips twitched as she glanced at non-talkative Shino and Neji, fidgeting Hinata, and...err, youthful Lee . "I see. What fun."

"Hey!" Lee cheerfully greeted us.

"Ah...h-hello Kiba-kun. Tenten-san..." Hinata stuttered out. Is it suddenly really hot in here? It looks like my mochi isn't settling too well with my stomach either.

"Hey guys," Tenten said and I forced a smile on my face and nodded.

"Where are you headed?" Naruto asked, cocking his head.

"My house," I replied. "We're just going to do a little research."

"Oh."

"Well, err. Have fun then." Naruto said and he awkwardly rubbed his neck. "See you!"

"Okay." And we were about to turn around when Naruto abruptly blurted out, "Oy, hold up! I have an idea! Let's have a gigantic group training session! After all, it's been awhile since we've all spent time together!" Naruto exclaimed. "What do you think Lee, Neji?"

"Yosh! This is most YOUTHFUL!" Lee crowed.

"Okay," Neji said dully.

Naruto faced my teammates. "Shino? Hinata?"

Shino merely nodded, while Hinata turned a crimson red from being addressed directly and stuttered,"H-hai, N-naruto-kun!"

"It's settled then! We'll see you soon then you guys?" Naruto exclaimed and a mischievous grin was plastered on his face.

"Kay," I said flatly. "Come on Ten. Let's go. We have work to do."

She gave my retreating back an annoyed look at the nickname and said, "Later, guys!" Then, she ran to catch up with me.

"Well, this plant looks pretty hard to get, but I like the results they give when they enter the bloodstream."

"Yeah. But this'll be hell to get. Look, it's found in deep gorges and on the sides of steep cliffs!"

"Well, we have enough practice getting around those," she grimly said. Then, she looked at the clock. "I'd better get going. I have to get started on patching up my weapons. They're a bit worse for wear."

As she made for the door, my sister emerged out of the next room.

"Leaving?" she asked. Tenten had come over so much that my family treats her like a family member more than a guest. Even my mom had become extremely comfortable around her, and they could sometimes be seen arguing about one stupid thing or another. Their squabbles could be as serious as their opinions on the low amount of money given to the academy or as pointless as their favorite type of cranberry juice.

"Yup. I've got to go."

"Well, come back soon. I've got to get to work myself." she said as she put on her veterinary coat. "Kiba, be nice and walk her home. It's getting late out. Besides, the last time you stayed home by yourself, you and Akamaru ate all the steak in the house."

"Your concern for me is flattering," Tenten said and my sister laughed.

I marked the page we had been looking at, closed it shut, and got up off my chair. She waited for me at the door and opened it once I got my shoes on. Then, we walked across my backyard and into the open.

"Do you want me to come when you get that plant?" I turned toward her.

"Sure," she said. "The Hotiro Root doesn't look THAT hard to get. It'll probably take some time though, because I want to get enough to last me for awhile."

"Alright. I shouldn't bring Akamaru though. He wouldn't fit into all the cracks and crevasses. Remember the journey about one and a half years ago?" I reminiscised.

"Yeah. We had to travel an extra fifty miles around the mountain because there wasn't enough space for him to navigate though it."

"We were so tired after that trek. I remember. My old jacket was totally trashed. I had to throw it away." I climbed up the stairs leading to her apartment and went to her door. "It didn't help that we caught all of our fish with it."

She giggled and said, "Well, looks like we're here!" She got her key and shoved it in the lock. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" She asked as she stepped inside.

"Yea. Ja ne," I said with a smile. I gave a little wave and jumped down onto the pavement. I guess I'll go kill some time in town.

I strolled leisurely into the market area and decided to get a fresh stock of bandages and food for the hike. Looks like I won't have to worry about weapons. Oh joy.

I went into a market first and bought some non-perishable food. Then, I stopped at the pharmacy and bought two fresh rolls of gauze.

After I purchased all the things I needed, plus some rope, I went on my way home. My mom is still out on her mission and my sister is doing an all-nighter at the clinic, so it would be just me and Akamaru in the house. I wonder if we have any steak.

"Ah, hello Kiba!"

I looked up to see the cheery face of Sakura striding toward me.

I beamed at her. "HEY, Sakura! How have you been? Good, I hope!"

She looked at me a little funny. "Fine, thanks! Have you seen Naruto? Tsunade-sama wants to see him."

"Sorry, not recently. But, I saw him a couple hours ago. He was walking with Neji, Lee, and the rest of my team." I answered and I apologetically scratched my head.

"Oh, that's alright. Well, I'll find him eventually." She chucked. "I should check Ichiraku's. Bye!"

"Okay! See you!" I called as she walked away and after she had gone, my cheesy smile slid off my face. I turned around and headed home, but now with uncooperative feet and a heavy mind.

I can't help being so damn cheerful to Sakura. This tends to happen a lot to Ino too, and I know they notice because last week Naruto was telling me about how Sakura said that I was just about as optimistic these days as Kakashi was perverted. Ouch.

I should really stop putting on that false facade around her, but it's hard.

_I pity her._

I remember about three years ago. We were on the Sasuke Retrieval mission and she had come to us crying and saying about how she couldn't stop him and she was relying on us. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the heartbroken girl because I knew no matter how much she fought against it and denied it, Uchiha would never love her back.

_'Why do I feel so bad for her?'_ As soon as I thought this, the earlier scene of Hinata blushing as Naruto addressed her flashed into my head. And suddenly, it all became crystal clear.

_I'm in love with Hinata. And no matter how hard I try..._

_She'll never love me back. _

_(A/N: This fic is getting a little more angstier than I had planned. Sorry this one took so long! I was busy with a damn frustrating research report on riptides, District Writing Sample, multiple tests and quizzes, and to top it all off, loads of homework. And...oh, I'm all out of excuses. xD And people, please review!)_


	4. A Nightmare In Reality

_(A/N: Well, here it goes.) _

**Chapter 4: A Nightmare in Reality**

**Tenten P.O.V.**

"I will beat you today, my rival! The score will no longer be tied 165 to 165!" Gai-sensei bellowed and then he pointed to the sky dramatically.

"...Ah, did you say something?" Kakashi asked, emerging from his "Make Out Tactics" book.

Gai-sensei pumped his fists and started crying. "DAMN YOU KAKASHI! AND YOUR ETERNAL HIPNESS!"

I glanced at the rest of the group. Our team and Kakashi's was having a joint practice. Naruto and Sakura looked slightly alarmed at Gai-sensei's outlandish behavior, but chose not to comment. Lee was watching Gai-sensei, silently cheering him on with flames in his eyes. Neji was merely looking bored, and if possible, slightly embarrassed. He and I had experienced this too often the past four years to care.

He caught me looking at him and our eyes met. I smiled and gave him a "Here-We-Go" look, which he returned with a weary expression before he turned back toward our senseis.

"HEY!" I heard a voice call. I whipped around to see Mr. Canine walking towards me carrying a backpack.

"OY! Kiba!" Naruto exclaimed with a lopsided grin and Sakura turned around. "Oh, hello Kiba!"

"Hey, guys," he said, smiling and exposing his fangs. "Are you ready to go?"

I clamped my hands over my mouth. "Oh! That's right! I totally forgot!"

"Are you going somewhere, Tenten-san?" Sakura inquired, cocking her head.

"Hai. I'm just going on a quick trip. Sorry, Kiba. We're going to have to make a fast stop at my house," I replied and faced Gai-sensei, whose attention had been adverted from the competition. "Sorry, I have to go. Too bad I'll miss what will no doubt be a _vicious_ battle." I chuckled. "Well, good-bye Sakura-san. Naruto. Lee, Neji, I'll see you guys soon!"

"Later, guys," Kiba said. Then he turned to face Naruto. "I'll be looking foward to beating you in a spar real soon." He cocked his head to the side with a mocking grin. Then, he swiveled around and started walking down the road.

I waved and jogged to catch up with him. "Good thing I packed a couple days ago."

We stopped at my house, picked up my pack, and then headed toward the gates of Konaha, arguing pleasantly about who would win the match between Gai-sensei and Kakashi.

"No. Gai-sensei has the tendency to get very worked up about things, which usually leads to him losing. Besides, Kakashi has the Sharingan."

"Psh. He might win if he actually tries. The only thing he was paying attention to was the developing tension between the prostitute and the ex-girlfriend."

"He can win _without_ trying. Anyway, they say keeping calm- HEY! Kiba, how do you know the storyline?!"

And we walked into the open wilderness.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!" Kiba cursed as the rain continued to pound on our dripping heads.

We paused momentarily under a rather large tree that blocked out most of the rain. I peered around desperately, hoping that a suitable place for two wet, hungry, and tired teenagers to spend the night would suddenly spring up out of the ground. As I gave up and leaned against the tree trunk, looking up at the cloudy gray sky that was now pouring with bullets of water.

I continued to stare with glazed eyes at the landscape until a sudden flash of lightning snapped me out of my reverie and the booming thunder made Kiba let out a surprised yelp. As the sky was illuminated, I saw a strange shadow in the distance.

"Hold up." I briskly jumped on top of a branch and squinted at the horizon. Sure enough, there was a little blurry haze barely brushing the tops of the trees about a mile away.

"Look! I think I found us a place to stay!" I called out, triumphant.

"What?" He leaped onto the branch and rubbed his eyes. "Well, whadd'ya know? It looks like a pretty big house by the looks of it. I'm freezing! Let's go!"

With that, we hopped off the tree and started sprinting toward what seemed to be the only man-made structure for miles in these mountains.

We ran for a good ten minutes, the rain making it hard to navigate and keep out balance, before we arrived at the house. It looked rather weather-beaten and appeared to be abandoned. The streak of lightning gave the house a sinister appearance. Kiba looked apprehensive.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go in!"

He turned to me apologetically. "Well, you see... I, err... I dunno if we should stay here..." he mumbled, his voice decreasing with every word until it was a barely audible whisper.

"What are you trying to say?" I was starting to feel rather impatient.

He flushed and then started blabbering incoherently. From the snippets I heard (CASTLE. ALIVE. HINATA. NARUTO. PEOPLE. MISSING. BLACK OUT. EATEN!!!), it seemed like he thought the mansion was...haunted?

"So you're saying you're scared?" I turned and raised my eyebrow at him.

"Well, I...yes," he finished lamely and started digging his sandals into the dirt.

How funny. "Are you _scared_?" I teased.

He stiffened and swiped at me with his hand. "No." He walked up to the door slowly, and then with a deep breath, knocked on the door.

Abruptly, the door swung open. And there was... nobody there.

"BLEH!" Kiba yelled and stumbled backwards into me.

"Augh!" I shouted as I pushed him aside. He was staring in horror at the pitch black entrance, and I have to admit, I was a little freaked out. Gathering up my courage, I approached the doorway.

"Well, are you going in or are you going to spend the night out here?" I snapped and stepped inside.

The place was musty and covered in cobwebs. The dust in that air was so thick that I felt like I was choking. Yup. This place hadn't been occupied for a long time. I crept around the area and found a lantern sitting on a table. Looking for a match, I fumbled around in my bag as Kiba edged cautiously in.

"Do you think there's a place to sleep in here?" Kiba asked.

"Well, we might as well see," I grimly said as I lit the lantern and blew out the match.

I ran my fingers over the wall before I found a switch. I flicked it on and the hall was flooded with a dim light. I looked around at my surroundings and saw it was an old victorian looking house.

We were drenched. I undid my hair, squeezed out all the water, and tied in a simple ponytail. We went to the opposite sides of the room to change into dry clothes, glad we brought spare clothes. I took off my white shirt, which was now completely see-through (luckily, I was wearing a gray tank-top underneath) and put on a maroon-colored hoodie. I replaced my pants with a pair of brown shorts.

I refastened my bag and walked back to the center of what apparently was the entrance hall of the house. Kiba had already finished dressing into a pair of black cargo pants identical to the ones he had previously worn and had on an oversized plain white shirt under his regular leather jacket, which he had wiped the water off of.

"Well, we might as well look around," I suggested and hitched my bag up. I plodded toward a hallway to my right and peered down the hallway. There were a row of doors on one side and across from them were multiple vanities with mirrors, vases with flowers, and suits of armor, which Kiba squeaked at the sight of.

"Come on you coward." I walked to the door closest to us with Kiba sticking close to me, cowering. I reached toward the knob, turned it, and opened the door.

I stared, petrified, at what was in front of me. I had just walked into hell's dining room. There was a table in the middle of the room and a single candle was flickering ominously. There was food on the table, untouched. It was slightly eerie, but all the while alluring, and as I strode further inside the room. I raised my lantern and unveiled a truly disturbing sight.

There were corpses everywhere. I gave a cry of disgust and jumped back. Kiba looked pale and uttered a small noise. There was blood splattered all over the walls and the bodies looked like they had just... exploded. I shakily stepped closer to the table and realized, to my horror, that the wine in the cups was blood and what had first appeared to be some type of turkey was actually a human head.

I stumbled backwards, away from the scene and then spun around and ran out the door. Kiba staggered out of the room and I slammed the door shut. For a few minutes, I stood stock-still in front of the door, in shock. Then, I sidled away from the door, reached into my pouch, and grabbed a kunai. I hastily threw the kunai at the door and turned to face my stricken partner.

"Now we know not to go in there again. How about we t-try another door?" I said bravely.

I walked over to the next door and stood nervously in front of it. The alarm was starting to wear away now and was slowly being replaced by revulsion and curiosity. I turned to Kiba and he gave me an apprehensive nod. Then, I grabbed the knob and jerked it open.

A large gale of wind nearly threw me back as I jerked the door open. I jerked toward the side and I heard Kiba give a yelp as a particularly icy blast hit him directly. He lurched back and regained his balance. Then, he threw his arms over his head and dove in. I winced and then decided to follow him in, shielding my own face from the harsh flurries of snow and ice.

I felt like I had just walked into a gigantic refrigerator. It was freezing cold and the snow was so thick I could barely see Kiba standing a foot away from me.

"HEY!" I shouted to him. "It'll be really easy to get lost in here! We're going to have to stick together!"

He gave me an "Okay!" that was hard to hear over the storm. He made his way over to me with some difficulty (the two foot layer of snow and the wind) and gripped my wrist.

"Let's see if there's anything here!" he yelled. I have to admit, we had totally forgotten our original objective of finding a place to sleep. But I doubt that there was a single normal room in this house.

We trudged for what seemed like hours without even knowing what direction we were going in. All of a sudden, we started hearing these weird wails and whispers. It felt like these undistinguishable words and howls were coming from somebody right beside me, but when I turned around, I saw nothing but the continuously falling sleet. I felt Kiba's hand tighten around my arm.

Then, we heard laughing.

The maniacal cackles made my blood run cold. I stopped at once and stood transfixed with confusion and fear. I started shuffling backwards, pulling Kiba. I wanted to leave. NOW.

I kept tugging on his wrist. "COME ON!" I hollered. I looked up to him and saw him paralyzed with terror. I followed his gaze and opened my mouth in a silent scream.

There were footprints surrounding us which were not our own. Every couple of seconds, a fresh pair of prints would appear on the ground, even closer to us. Whatever they were, we could not see them, and they edged closer and closer.

In sheer panic, I broke into a run, pulling the petrified Kiba along with me. I cannot remember running faster in my life. I could no longer see the door, but kept running in what I hoped was a straight line to see if I could run into a wall or something.

I was fairly lucky and managed to see a patch of brown in the midst of white a little to my left and hurled toward it.

I wrenched the door open, yanked a blundering Kiba in, and flung it shut. I let go of Kiba's hand and ran down the hallway, back into the entrance hall and toward the door. As I was halfway across the room, I heard a rapid knocking at the main door. I stopped immediately as the door swung open and screamed.

_(A/N: This wasn't what I really had in mind for a story line, but it'll do. Now, I have a request for my readers. How do you want the story to go? A jealous Neji as Tenten starts dating Kankuro? An arguement between Hinata and Kiba? Or, dun dun dun, Neji and Hinata getting married much to our main characters' dismay? BTW, I HATE NejiHina. Give me your ideas. Preferably sending me a private message than on my review boards. Thanks!)_


	5. Minutes until Midnight

_(A/N: Thanks to the people who gave me opinions on how the story should go! I really appreciate them. You can still send your ideas! Remember, your opinions count!) _

**Chapter 5: Minutes until Midnight**

**Kiba P.O.V. **

"What are you doing?"

Hyuuga Neji was standing in the doorway surveying us with a mixed expression of confusion, amusement, and anger. Naruto was next to him and he blankly gaped at us before a wide grin spread across his face. And behind him, peeking out, was Hinata. Her hair was damp due to the still-pouring rain and I felt my stomach flutter as her beautiful white eyes met mine.

Naruto's grin widened. "It's just us. You two can let go of each other now."

We sheepishly stepped away from each other in embarrassment. In our sudden surprise, she had flung her arms around my neck and I in turn, had thrown my arms around the waist.

Kiba, time to change the subject. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"That was my question," Neji responded calmly, if not in a slightly annoyed manner.

"We were looking for a place to stay the night," Tenten responded.

"Us, too!" Naruto cheerfully said. "It looks like we're sharing!"

At that moment, everything flooded back to me. The decapitated head, the blood, the footsteps...

"You guys can stay. I'm leaving!" The fear was all coming back. "I'm not spending another minute in here! I LIKE my life thank you very much! See you. Tenten, let's go." I started walking towards the door.

"Wait. HOLD IT!" Naruto exclaimed, looking puzzled. "You're not staying?" Behind him, Neji had his eyebrows raised and Hinata wore a concerned look on her face.

"HELL NO. Well, it was nice meeting you but it's time for us to go." My voice was sounding unnaturally shrill and I jerkily made my way towards the door.

"Err, Bye!" Tenten said hastily and tried to follow, but Neji grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Explain," he said simple and she hesitated. "You're going to have to at stay the night anyway, because it's pouring outside and it's too dark to see anything."

She relaxed a bit. "I... guess we should stay a bit. At least until the rain stops," she said reluctantly and I gave her a frightened look.

I nearly blew up. "ARE YOU KIDDING? We'll be killed!" I yelled and I could see the others looking thoroughly confused.

"Okay, what happened here?" Naruto said with his head cocked.

"…"

"And does that have anything to do with why you guys are covered in snow, soaked to the bone, and had screamed like frightened little children?" Neji said, sounding amused.

"Fine. We'll stay here, but we won't go farther than the entrance hall." I give up.

It was around midnight now. The group had settled down and was now eating some rations that had been packed. I still feel really creeped out here though, but it helps to have the ever-stoic Hyuuga and the dynamic dropout here. It's helping my rice cakes taste a _little _better.

"Hey, Tenten! Your hair! You changed it!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, interrupting the heavy silence and spraying us with bits of ramen.

Her fingers absentmindedly reached up and ran through her hair. "Yeah. It was wet. It's nothing special. I tie it up like this all the time."

"Really?" Naruto cocked his head. "I've never seen you."

"She does it a lot at home and when she's relaxing," I interrupted boredly. "But she's only put her hair completely down once."

She scowled. "Shut up. I don't wanna talk about that."

"You know WHY?" I ignored her, raising my voice. "It was because she was on a- GACK!" I yelped as she slammed her fist on my thigh.

"SHUT THE HELL UP." Her face was slightly pink.

"What! I WANNA KNOW!" Naruto was grinning goofily as I doubled over in pain.

"No."

"PLEASE?"

"No."

"PRETTY PLEASE?"

"NO."

The three hours that have passed since our meal. The roaring sound of thunder grew louder and drowned out any conversation we wanted to have. The cold numbed our bones and the only thing that prevented the darkness from engulfing us was a lone lantern, which was bravely glowing brightly.

Naruto had fallen asleep on the floor, God-knows-how and Neji was sitting in a wooden chair by a table staring blankly ahead. I don't think he has moved at all since we settled down. Hinata was sitting primly in a musty armchair with too much lace. Everytime the thunder shook the house, she jumped up a little bit and uttered a (cute) little squeak. Tenten was the complete opposite. She was in an identical armchair a little ways off. Sprawled on the chair lazily, she looked completely at ease, and maybe a little bored. Currently, she was examining her nails with a slight frown on her face.

I sighed. This was going to be a _long_ night.

My eyes fluttered open. How long had I been asleep? The thunder had stopped now, but I could still here the patter of rain on the roof. Rubbing my eyes, I sleepily looked around the room. Tenten was sound asleep in her chair. She was still gracefully sprawled on her chair and her hand, which she had been examining before I dozed off, was now hanging limp over the armrest. Hinata had also fallen asleep. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap and her head was tilted slightly to the side, letting the light of the lantern illuminate her face. The soft color of her skin in the light stood out perfectly against her cascading hair. I felt my cheeks heat up as I tore my eyes away from her and glanced at the remaining two occupants.

I think Naruto's drooling. Let's move on.

I couldn't tell if Neji was awake or not. I think he _still_ was in the exact same position. Maybe he died hours ago and we didn't even know.

These people really are the life of a party.

By the time it was morning, the rain had ceased. All the plant life was speckled with little drops of water, making them look vibrant in the morning sun.

After packing the little supplies we had taken out and poking Naruto awake, we left the creepy old house and began walking down a small dirt path.

_(A/N: For those of you wondering, I'm still alive. I just had writer's block, something terrible. I'm also struggling to maintain deviantArt and AMV making and I'm too lazy to do that much. After much thought, I decided to make this into a trilogy. This will be the first part when they are roughly sixteen-ish. I haven't had a lot of ideas for this story, but for part two, I have more. I think I will name the series, so don't freak out if the title suddenly changes.)_


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